What’s your WHY?

Whether you want to lose weight, break a bad habit, create a good habit, start a daily meditation practice, make better lifestyle choices or repair a struggling relationship it is important to know WHY you want what you want. Understanding your why and knowing just how important it is to you, will be the single most important factor in getting through any discomfort you will stumble upon in your quest for whatever change you decide is needed in your life.

Any and all change brings about discomfort. Change doesn’t and won’t happen until we face some discomforts. Some of these discomforts can be big mountains to climb, some of these discomforts can be smaller hurdles to jump and some could be minor obstacles to need to manage or endure.  Whatever discomfort that arises for you as you take on small or big changes in your life need to be met head-on and knowing your why will help you meet them, endure them, jump them and climb them.

Without knowing or understanding your why, the mountain will seem too big to climb, the hurdle will seem too dangerous to jump and the obstacle will simply be seen as an annoyance that if you can avoid…you will.

What this really comes down to is training yourself to be okay with discomfort. Not just okay with it but in the mind-set of “bring it on” because the goal is to become comfortable with discomfort! 

Today’s society though is being trained to gravitate toward comfort and away from any discomfort. Not that there is anything wrong with feeling comfortable. You deserve comfort in your life, we all do. As long as comfortable serves your intention, purpose or joy, it is perfectly acceptable to choose comfort.

The problem is when you choose comfort to avoid the discomfort.

Here are some examples of what I mean by avoiding discomfort;

1. You know that exercise helps with injuries. This is why physio is needed for optimal healing after you have had any type of injury, accident or surgery. Yet… exercise and physio are uncomfortable. Have you ever come out of a surgery only for the nurses or OT to instruct you that you need to get up and walk? Moving is the last thing you want to do – why? Because you are in pain and walking will be uncomfortable! It is not fun and could even be down right painful so choosing to NOT do it would be way more comfortable. Yet in the long-term scope of things not enduring through the discomfort will result in long-term problems.
2. You know that eating foods with higher nutritional value is better for your long-term over-all well-being not to mention gut health or your waistline. Yet…if you are addicted to sugar choosing the apple over the chocolate cake is an uncomfortable choice to make. Who doesn’t want cake??? What if your health depended on you choosing the apple and you were just one piece of cake away from that heart attack or stroke? The short-term gratification of that delicious piece of cake is detrimental to your health. Choosing the discomfort of the cravings while you eat that apple and watch everyone around you enjoying cake may save your life, heal your gut or help you drop some inches from that waistline. Why do you think they call high fat, high sugar, typically unhealthy fast-food choices “comfort food” Choosing the short-term gratification of the comfort food over the uncomfortable feeling of the craving (which by the way can be very intense) will have long-term detrimental effects on your health.
3. You know that chronic stress is the #1 cause of disease. Which is why yoga, meditation and mindfulness are important practices to incorporate into your life. Yet…sitting in stillness and listening to your thoughts is uncomfortable. Slowing down and becoming mindful of the moment can be annoying and time consuming to a busy, multi-tasking ego-mind. Yoga is uncomfortable for those who are tight and inflexible and if you have ever experienced a yin yoga class, discomfort is the point!!! Why would anyone want to ever meditate or do yin yoga when it is way more comfortable to numb the mind with wine, a good television show, a too busy life or a sleeping pill? Because, in the discomfort of sitting with your thoughts, you transmute the stress. In sitting in an uncomfortable yin yoga posture, you learn to find comfort in the discomfort which allows your body to learn how to relax and heal from chronic stress. Short-term options to numb and relax the mind and body with medication or distractions have no value at all and they interrupt the process of the body’s natural ability to self-regulate itself from stress. Meditation is an uncomfortable option at first but the long-term effects are peaceful, life-saving and beyond valuable. There is an “Intro to Meditation” Workshop on Thursday Jan 16^th
4. You know that connection is important. Connecting with your “tribe” is essential. Whether that tribe is your friends, your family or a combination of both. Whether it’s a big tribe or small one, a tribe will increase the quality of your life. If you are feeling down, depressed, grieving or lonely getting yourself out into the world or around people is uncomfortable. It is far easier and much more comfortable to stay home and avoid people. Picking up the phone and asking for help is a big (and very uncomfortable) step towards connecting. In time though it will help you overcome grief and/or depression. Connection with friends and family increases the quality of your life by increasing your sense of belonging, improving your self-confidence and your “tribe” will help you cope with the big stuff like divorce, losing a loved one or illness. In community you learn to love, be loved and be loving. Short-term discomfort of putting yourself out there in the world will be rewarded with long-term connections and love.

Now, let’s get back to what your why is?

Why do you want what you want? Why do you want to be healthier? Why do you want to be happier? Why do you want to be wealthier? Why do you want to find love or peace? Why do you want to be successful? Why do you want to mend a relationship or have a better relationship?

• Make your WHY so important to you that you choose short-term discomfort FOR long-term health, success & longevity.
• Make your WHY so important that you are no longer willing to choose short-term comforts that contributes to long-term suffering.
• Decide right now that you will never choose comfort simply to avoid discomfort. 

I ask again and this time I hope you take some time to really reflect inward…What’s your WHY?

And are you willing to endure discomfort in the “getting” of what you want? This is a life-changer!!!

Namaste my friends;

Leslie